With a wide range of uses, the ham slicer has recently become an indispensable kitchen appliance not only in professional establishments, but also in the kitchen! Despite its name, the slicer is used for all types of food: ham, cold meats, bread and even vegetables. But it’s important to choose the right slicer for your needs. Looking to buy a ham slicer? Here are the main criteria you need to know.
Choosing an electric or mechanical slicer
Electric slicers
This is the most comfortable model. Fast and requiring minimum effort, the electric ham slicer is ideal for professional use. A butcher’s shop or supermarket needing a machine with fast throughput for almost constant use is bound to turn to this type of slicer.
The mechanical slicer
The manual or mechanical ham slicer is more suited to occasional, light to moderate use. A restaurant might need one, or even a bar. Less expensive than the electric slicer, it’s also perfect for occasional use in a home kitchen.
Le repaire du chef offers a fine range of professional slicers, both electric and manual. The site’s manual slicers feature a vintage style, perfect for adding an original piece of decoration to your kitchen. Buying a slicer on the Repaire du Chef website is the assurance of choosing quality equipment selected with care. This applies to the ham slicer as well as all the other kitchen tools and accessories offered in the online store.
Belt or sprocket: which transmission should you choose?
Belt-driven slicers
The belt-driven slicer is recommended for constant, but light use. Slicers with a belt drive are ideal for restaurants, bars and other businesses that won’t be using them on an almost systematic, intensive basis. The belt-driven slicer is less consistent than the sprocket-driven mechanism, but faster.
Pinion slicers
Pinion-driven slicers are ideal for constant or even intensive use. The pinion transmission is more resistant over time, and provides continuous regularity, perfect for delicatessens or supermarkets. The pinion slicer is slower than the belt, but offers a wide range of cuts, from hard and soft foods to raw meat slices. The sprocket slicer is also more expensive than the belt slicer.
Determining the machine’s power
The power of a ham slicer is measured in watts. The larger the format and blade, the slower the slicer. The smaller the format and blade, the faster the slicer. A large ham slicer therefore needs more power than a small one.
Slicers on the market range from 80 Watts to 1000 Watts. For domestic use, we recommend a slicer with at least 130 Watts. And of course, the more powerful the motor, the higher the price.
For professional use, it all depends on the diameter of the blades. A small format will need less power, and 200 Watts is perfectly acceptable. But if you intend to slice large pieces of ham and need a large cutting capacity, models with more than 250 Watts are to be preferred.
Pay attention to thickness
Whether for professional or private use, a good ham slicer needs to offer a wide choice of slice thicknesses. To suit all uses, it’s best to choose a slicer that can go from 1mm to 25mm thick.
Choosing the right slicer blade
A slicer’s blade is its key component. A smooth-edged blade is intended for slicing charcuterie or meat for a butcher’s shop, for example. Serrated blades, on the other hand, are designed for slicing bread.
Unless the slicer is destined for a specific use, it’s best to opt for a slicer with removable blades and a set of blades of different shapes to suit all needs.
Choosing the cutting capacity of your slicer
This is determined by the stroke of the ham slicer carriage. Cutting capacity refers to the maximum width that can be obtained with a slicer. For domestic use, a cutting capacity of 200 mm is sufficient.
For commercial use, a minimum capacity of 300 mm is required. Butchers, delicatessens and supermarkets will need a greater range, above 330 mm.
The Le Repaire du Chef website sells a wide range of professional slicers, with cutting capacities of up to 370 mm. These machines are ideal for use in delicatessens and butchers’ shops.
Paying attention to ham slicer safety
This is the final point to consider. Safety is an important factor when handling sharp and therefore dangerous objects. A safe slicer must be able to attach to its support with suction cups, and have a safety lock.
Opting for a slicer with a retractable blade is also a significant plus to avoid any risk of accident.
